Helloooo! I'm back from Hiatus! Sorry for the delay, I will have updated my other stories by the end of the week. Apologies once again!
Chapter One: In the Rain.
Rating: M – For blood, violence, swearing and angst.
Pairing(s): JohanXJuudai
Genre: Horror/Romance
Summary: Takes place in the aftermath of the ending of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX and the beginning of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters 5Ds. Juudai returns from his adventures around the world, but he's changed. When a broken, twisted shell of the brown-eyed duellist returns to Tokyo, and with nightmares and visions haunting him both awake and in sleep, his friends become concerned for both his and their mental sanity. Who, or more likely what, has damaged him, and what can Johan and Juudai's friends do to save him?
The telephone's shrill bell rang through the silence of the house, startling its owner, a certain Gem-duellist – Johan Andersen – so greatly, that the boy swore loudly in Norwegian, and promptly fell out of the bed. After picking himself up of his bedroom floor, Johan stumbled groggily out of the room, to the landing, where the incessant ringing of that wretched telephone continued to pound his sleep-deprived brain that was still suffering from its rude awakening. Muttering obscenities under his breath, he wrenched the phone from its bracket, silencing the noise that had irritated him so.
Bringing the mouthpiece up towards his face, he spoke into it, in a half-moan, half-irritated shriek. "Yes? Johan Andersen speaking. What the hell do you want at this hour?"
"Johan-kun…" a woman's voice vibrated through the mouthpiece.
He blinked, startled out of his anger. "A-Asuka? That you?"
"Yes," and sadness filled her voice "It's been a while, hasn't it Johan-kun"
He gave a half-laugh, and ran his hand through his already messy hair. "A while? Hell, it's been three years since we last spoke! How are you?"
"I'm fine," she replied quietly "but I have some news…You…might want to sit down."
"Wha-what? Asuka what's going on?"
"Johan-kun please! Listen to me! Please sit down!" came her distressed answer through the receiver.
"Okay…okay Asuka" Johan slowly made his over to his sofa, and sat.
He heard her take a shuddery breath "Last night…he came back…No warning, no message…he just…appeared…at my front door."
"Who, Asuka? Who came back"
She burst into tears "Juudai!"
Johan sat there. Stunned, like a rabbit caught in the headlights. "…What…?" he whispered. "…Juudai…?"
"Yes…! But something's not right with him! Please Johan-kun, I'm begging you. Help Juudai! Please!"
"Wh-what's wrong…with him?"
She drew in a ragged breath "I think its best you see for yourself…" she wept.
The line cut, and the house was filled with the shrill beeping that signalled a cut line. Johan didn't notice. The receiver dropped out of his hand and clattered to the floor.
"No…no way…this can't be real!"
He bolted back to his room and pulled on the first clothes he could get his hands on. He literally sprinted to the front door, and, just as he was about to open it, he felt the smallest of nagging feelings. A feeling that he'd forgotten something. Something important. Ah! My deck! He hurtled back into his room, and swiped his deck off the bedside table.
He hadn't played Duel Monsters for nearly two years now, but it had become too habitual to not carry it around with him. Without his deck he felt vulnerable and alone, so, although his duel disk lay under a layer of dust at the bottom of his wardrobe, he still talked to his duel spirits everyday without fail, and continued to look for their advice at times when, there seemed no answer.
As he ran desperately through the sheets of rain that pummelled his skin like thousands of needles, his duel spirit Ruby Carbuncle materialized onto his shoulder.
'Rubii Bii?' The small cat licked her Master's cheek.
He turned to face her. "Hey Ruby"
'Rubii?'
"No, girl, I'm not okay…But you'll be seeing Hane Kuriboh real soon girl."
'Bii?' She questioned.
"It's Juudai…you remember him? That crazy guy with a flying powder-puff of a duel spirit. A certain flying powder-puff named Hane Kuriboh? Well they've returned."
Rubii?
"You've guessed it. That's who we're on our way to see right now."
It was a good 15 minutes before Johan arrived at Asuka's flat. Panting, and shivering with cold, he rang the doorbell. A weeping, red-eyed Asuka opened the door.
"Come in, come in…quickly"
He entered the dark hallway of the flat, and glanced around. He had been to Asuka's house many times before, but he hadn't really seen most of it, only the living room.
"This way," she motioned for him to follow.
They entered the darkened living room.
"J-Juudai?" Asuka's voice broke the silence.
No-one moved. Then, from the corner of the room, came a voice. A voice Johan had longed to hear, but almost forgotten, for three years. But this voice sounded…empty…broken.
Hesitantly, Johan made his way to the direction of the voice. As he reached where the voice had come from, he reached towards the dark figure that stood, huddled in the corner. Johan's fingers came into contact with a soft fabric, but before his hand could move any further, it was slapped away.
"N-no…! Don't! Don't touch me! Don't touch me!"
"J-Juudai!"
The figure stopped quivering and raised its head. Juudai's face was blank, and his eyes stared ahead, empty orbs- little more that a ghost of their previous warmth and colour. But the thing that scared Johan the most, the thing that made him fall to his knees, was Juudai's face. Twisted, burnt and scarred, the brown-haired duellist's mouth leered down at him, twisted into a sickening grin. He let out a small chuckle.
"Ha…how nice to see you again…Johan."
And then he lunged for the boy's throat.